Biltong and protein

Biltong and protein

Biltong is a high protein meat snack. Biltong produced by Canadian Meat Republic is high in protein, low in fat and with no added sugar, nitrates, MSG, soy or colourants. It is gluten free & wheat free. No artificial ingredients are used in the making of our product. Nutritional information for Canadian Meat Republic biltong in general would be: >50% protein; 10%-12% fat; 2.6% salt; 1% carbohydrates (of which sugar = 0%). The balance will be water and collagen.

Biltong is a perfect protein snack for:

Children needing a protein snack at school. It is ideal because it doesn’t spoil at room temperature and is not an allergen like nuts.

Any person needing a delicious snack that will satiate you throughout the day;

Athletes and very active people requiring a higher than normal daily protein intake, and

The outdoor adventurist going on a one to multi day trip (skiing, hiking, kayaking, biking, and hunting) requiring a protein snack (doesn’t need to be refrigerated during the trip).

Biltong (cured & air dried red meat) is a complete protein. A complete protein (or whole protein) is a source of protein that contains an adequate proportion of all nine of the essential amino acids (not produced by the human body) necessary for the dietary needs of humans.

Why do I need protein?

Protein makes up part of the structure of every tissue in your body, including your muscle tissue, internal organs, tendons, skin, hair and nails. On average, it comprises about 20% of your total body weight. Protein is needed for the growth and formation of new tissue, for tissue repair and for regulating many metabolic pathways, and can be used as a fuel for energy production. It is also needed to produce almost all of the body enzymes as well as various hormones (such as adrenalin and insulin) and neurotransmitters. Protein has a role in maintaining optimal fluid balance in tissue, transporting nutrients in and out of cells, carrying oxygen and regulating blood clotting.

How much protein do I need to consume?

Health Canada uses references values for macro-nutrients. One measure is Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). The RDA is the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in a particular life-stage and gender group. In the table below RDA for protein is expressed as: g protein required/kg body weight/day. Body weight refers to ‘lean body weight’, i.e. subtract fat weight from total body weight. Keep in mind that RDA values are based on the public in general and could be on the conservative side to be safe.

Total protein

Example calculation:

RDA (g/kg/d)

Lean body weight (kg)

Protein required (g/d)

Children (age range):

1-3

1.05

12

12.6

4-8

0.95

20

18

Males (age range):

9-13

0.95

36

34.2

14-18

0.85

61

51.9

19-30

0.8

70

56

31-50

0.8

85

68

51-70

0.8

80

64

<70

0.8

70

56

Females (age range):

9-13

0.95

36

34.2

14-18

0.85

55

46.8

19-30

0.8

58

46.4

31-50

0.8

60

48

51-70

0.8

60

48

<70

0.8

58

46.4

Athletes:

Endurance athlete (moderate or heavy training).

1.2-1.4

80

96-112

Strength & power athlete.

1.4-1.8

90

126-162

Athlete on fat-loss programme.

1.6-2.0

75

120-150

· Athlete on weight-gain programme.

1.8-2.0

95

171-190

Specific diets

· Ketogenic

1.2*

90

162

*: Canadian Orthomolecular Society recommendation.

A 100-gram Meat Republic biltong package contains roughly 60 grams of protein. Comparing this to the table above will give you an indication of how much of your daily protein (macro-nutrient) requirement one package will satisfy. Biltong is a great way to get the nutrients you require, in an easy to store and handy snack sized pack. Using only natural ingredients – it is an ideal super-food.